


Giver & Listener

by BananaChef



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Auror Tina, Chasing Credence, F/M, MACUSA | Magical Congress of the United States of America, Magic, The Deathly Hallows, duh - Freeform, mental health, relationship drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 06:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20737931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaChef/pseuds/BananaChef
Summary: If you sat Tina down in a room and interviewed her about what she did between the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the beginning of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, she would have one heck of a story to tell. This is my interpretation of that story.Teaser: Tina Goldstein has no work/life balance; it's mostly work, and very little life. That didn't use to be a problem, but when her heart breaks into pieces, some time to live might be just what she needs. Mayhem ensues when Tina agrees to lead an investigation into Credence Barebone's whereabouts after the notorious Gellert Grindelwald escapes from MACUSA's custody (and Abernathy mysteriously disappears, too). With her life on the line 24/7, how can Tina hope to save Credence if she doesn't save herself first?DISCONTINUED.





	1. Introduction

The first few months after Newt left were hard for Tina; she missed him a lot, but, like always, she had Queenie. Tina was back on the Investigative Team of MACUSA, where she poured her heart and soul into the work. One day in January, Tina had a package delivered to her in the middle of a meeting:

“Package for Tina Goldstein,” the secretary had called into the room.

Everyone had frozen, and a blush had crept up Tina’s cheeks.

“That would be me,” she’d said, raising her hand for identification.

The secretary had walked over and handed the box to Tina, and everyone had watched silently, making the encounter _ painfully _ nerve-wracking. As soon as Tina had looked back at the other people at the table, the meeting had resumed. Thankfully.

She had opened the box in her office afterward, and what was there had made a small smile creep onto her face: a copy of _ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _ from Newt with a note inside.

One afternoon shortly after this, Queenie had arrived at the girls’ apartment with a bag of pastries that looked suspiciously like a Demiguise, Erumpent, and Niffler, respectively, along with a wonderful story.

*Cue _ Fantastic Beasts _ theme music*

We see an aerial view of New York City, in all its glory. Then we follow an owl over to the MACUSA building and inside the front doors. We watch it soar past different areas and floors until we reach the Major Investigations Dept. level, where we part with the owl and enter Tina’s office, a homey room with a much better (and much less cluttered) desk than the one she’d had in the wand permit “office.” Tina is scribbling away on a paper in a manila folder on her desk, bent over far enough for her mid-neck length hair to fall in front of her face.

This is where my—_our_—story begins.


	2. Chapter 2

**MACUSA Headquarters in Manhattan, Wednesday, June 8** **th****, 1927**

One more case over with. Tina closed the manila folder and it floated off her desk to file itself away. Her eyes flicked to a thin, unlabeled folder on her desk. She sighed.

Another case; An important one. President Seraphina Picquery had offered her a choice: Take the solo assignment to find Credence—woah!—or be part of a team investigation. Part of Tina had jumped at the chance—I mean, she'd thought Credence had died! What better way to redeem herself (to herself) than to find him? She could finally do something about that tiny part of her that had died along with the young man.

The file was enchanted and could only be read by Tina and Picquery. She had to make this decision by the end of the week so the proper arrangements could be made, but even after letting the decision stew for a while, she still wasn’t sure. She had a lot to lose and a lot to gain on either side.

Leaving the decision for another time, Tina grabbed her grey summer sweater when it flew to her hand from the coat rack. She put it on as she walked out of her generous office space, the door magically closing behind her. Waving goodbye to the “family” of Aurors who were chatting, she turned to leave, but a man called her name.

“Hey, Goldstein!”

A man with dashing looks jogged up to Tina, leaving a couple of other guys in the corner. She didn’t know any of them beyond their names, but she was sure this one wasn’t part of the investigative team.

“Achilles Tolliver, right?” asked Tina when he reached her.

“Yes,” Tolliver answered, smiling as if Tina knowing his name was the greatest thing in the world, “Porpentina Goldstein?”

Tina nodded and Tolliver took her hand and shook it vivaciously.

“But please, it’s Tina,” the young woman replied, still shaking hands with the man.

“I don’t believe we’ve met before,” he started after letting go of Tina’s hands. He looked a bit nervous and paused. “So, uh, what would you say to getting to know each other over drinks?”

His friends in the corner had probably dared him to ask out “the weird girl who never talks to anybody,” so this was probably some sort of prank. 

On the other hand, he was actually a little nervous, and if his friends had dared _ him _ to ask her out, he was probably against it in the first place, so maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy. But he was actually asking _ Tina _ out, so he’s probably one of those lost-causes-who-never- gets-the-girl types and could use a friend. So why not humor him and, for once, actually be in control of the date—outing. They’re “getting to know each other over drinks.”

“Sure!” Tina replied brightly, putting a smile on her face.

Tolliver's face brightened at her words. “Fantastic! Do you know if you’re available Saturday night?” he asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“I believe so. . .” she replied, trailing off.

“Do you have any place in mind?” the man asked.

Tina’s only thought was the Blind Pig, but that place brought up too many memories for comfort, not to mention it was filled to the brim with criminals, _ and _ she was almost definitely blacklisted now. It also probably wasn't a good place to meet with a MACUSA Auror, even off duty—why was she even considering this place in the first place?

“No,” she answered simply.

“All right. I have the perfect place in mind. We’ll meet up here at eight?”

“That sounds great.”

They both stood there for a few awkward seconds before Tolliver opened his mouth to say something. He closed it without saying anything and instead put his hand in his pocket, took a few steps back, and waved. Tina waved back, an awkward smile on her face and a small smile on Tolliver’s. He turned around, walking back to his buddies in the corner. This was undoubtedly an effort to look cool. Yeah, his friends almost definitely dared him to ask her out because he likes her.

Tina turned around and took the elevator to the wand permit level and speed-walked over to Queenie’s boss’s office to find out if she was still in.

She was greeted with a stiff, “She clocked out an hour ago,” from them by way of greeting.

“Thanks.”

Tina took the elevator to the main floor and glanced at the large clock, which was now seemingly stuck at the second-lowest level ever since last year, as she climbed down the stairs.

Queenie was the only reason Tina actually considered declining the assignment. She’d recently started seeing Jacob Kowalski, the No-Maj from the wild events of last year, and Tina was afraid that if she let her guard down they'd get caught. She felt responsible for their safety; they were family, after all. Initially, Tina had tried to talk Queenie out of the relationship, not wanting either of them to get hurt, but Queenie wouldn’t change her stance, and eventually, Tina had fallen into protecting their secret.

All of those arguments about “following the law” and how “stupid” the law is would mean nothing if Queenie got caught. Tina was trying her hardest to protect the two, but nothing she said could persuade Queenie to break it off. Tina’d had a weird dream one night about the repercussions of their relationship if the two were captured by MACUSA. Queenie was sitting in the floating chair in the all-white execution room, the black liquid swirling and rising, enrapturing her until it greedily swallowed her into its depths. Next, she had seen Jacob be obliviated by MACUSA agents, anything and everything magic-related wiped from his mind. The last thing Tina remembered was sobbing into someone’s shoulder. She couldn’t see his face or hear his voice, but she knew exactly who it was. She’d woken up in the middle of the night and wrote a letter to him, but crumpled the paper and threw it in the garbage instead.

Lost in thought, Tina had forgotten to find a place to Apparate home and had inadvertently walked to Jacob’s bakery. She looked inside the store window at all the unusual pastry designs; a lot of them looked suspiciously like the beasts from Newt’s case. Tina’d never been inside the bakery (it hurt to see anything Newt-related because she missed him so much), but Queenie’d bought the occasional treat.

Looking away, Tina walked over to the nearest alley and Disapparated, Apparating into an alley near the familiar brownstone apartment complex. Walking up the stairs, she opened the door and climbed the second set of stairs to the shared apartment, unlocking the door with a simple spell and relocking it as she took off her grey sweater. As she walked to the table, the sweater gently hung itself on the coat rack. Tina flicked her wand and a glass flew out of a cupboard and onto the table, filling up with water. She picked up the cup and a note that said, “Gone shopping, be back for dinner. XX Queenie,” on top of a stack of mail. Taking a sip of water, Tina grabbed the mail stack and settled onto the couch. 

Leaving the water to float in midair, Tina quickly looked through the stack, looking for something in particular; a letter from a special somebody. She didn’t find it and didn’t even know why she bothered to look. She was the one who needed to write back, but every time she sat down to write, it felt like her brain froze. The only things of interest were either illegal or a government secret, and their last correspondence had ended on a sour note. Not all Aurors are “careerist hypocrites.” Some of them, yes, but not her. Tina still couldn’t believe he’d written that; I mean, he knows that she’s an Auror, he had no excuse. She could find it in her heart to forgive him, but only if he was willing to apologize. She’d have asked him if she wasn’t so afraid of making him think badly of her.

Tina tossed the stack of boring mail back on the table and finished her glass of water. It flew over to the sink and washed itself by magic as she walked over to the bedside table and picked up her well-thumbed (and self-annotated) copy of _ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. Sitting on her bed, she opened to the first page:

> _Property of_
> 
> _P. Goldstein_  
  
---  
  
Then, underneath it, a note from Newt:

> _Tina,_
> 
> _Sorry I couldn’t give this to you in person. The Ministry placed an international travel ban on me—leaving the country is a ticket to Azkaban. They seem to think that I was in New York just to cause problems, and that an old friend of mine put me up to it. In reality, I’d only intended to be there for a couple hours. If I could, I would Send my regards to Queenie. I hope to hear from you._
> 
> _With love, _
> 
> _ Newt_
> 
> _P.S. — Sorry I had to send this to Macusa. What’s your address?_  
  
---  
  
Tina sighed, touching the “with love” part and flipped a few pages; laying on her stomach on the bed, she started rereading the book for what felt like the thousandth time. At this point, she pretty much had the book memorized.

* * *

Queenie bounded inside the apartment an hour later, radiating joy and excitement per usual.

“Teenie, look who’s on the front page of _ Spellbound _ !” The magazine flew to Tina’s spot on the table as Queenie elegantly waved her wand.

Tina closed _ Fantastic Beasts _ and got up from her bed, leaving it on her bedside table as the grocery bags flew onto the counter and next to the cabinets.

“It’s Newt!” Queenie explained excitedly as Tina picked it up. “He’s on the front cover of a lot of magazines, actually. His book must be real popular.”

A strangled, “Oh,” was all Tina could muster; her eyes were glued to the page.

> _Spellbound: Celebrity Secrets and Tips of the Stars!_  
  
---  
  
Underneath the title was the front-page headline and a picture of Newt, his brother Theseus, Newt’s fiancée—Leta Lestrange—and an unknown woman posing for a picture together at Newt’s book release in London:

> _BEAST TAMER NEWT SCAMANDER TO WED!_  
  
---  
  
Tina immediately felt as if her stomach had dropped to the ground and her heart had moved to her throat. She was struggling to make sense of her life at this particular moment and it was hard to speak. It felt like her life had just been turned upside down, shaken around for good measure, and that she was hanging on for dear life. It was clear that something was very wrong with the tears in Tina’s eyes and her inability to form words for a few seconds.

“Teen, what’s wrong?” asked Queenie, concerned.

Tina ripped her eyes away and dropped the magazine onto the table, avoiding Queenie’s questioning and concerned look, trying to blink the tears away.

“Nothing. I’m fine,” Tina managed to say, still sounding a bit strangled. She turned away from the table and waved her wand, setting the table for two as she walked off to the bathroom before Queenie could read her thoughts.

* * *

Queenie was sitting dejectedly at the table, staring morosely at Tina’s cold dinner as she strained to hear her quiet sobs from down the hall. Deciding her sister had had enough time alone, she stood up and walked to the bathroom door. She knocked quietly.

“Teenie, your dinner’s getting cold,” said Queenie softly in an attempt to avoid the problem entirely. She waited a few seconds for an answer but only heard some muffled sniffling.

“Tina, tell me what’s wrong,” persisted Queenie, trying a different tactic.

Maybe it worked, or maybe Tina had just needed some time to calm down, but she silently opened the door, avoiding Queenie’s eyes. Her’s were red and puffy from crying as she wiped the tears from them.

“Teen. . .” said Queenie softly, requesting permission to read her thoughts and feelings. When she was younger, Tina had practiced a little Occlumency at Ilvermorny so Queenie wouldn’t be able to read her thoughts and tease her or copy her.

Queenie stood still for a few seconds as she absorbed the information, and then suddenly she wrapped her arms around Tina in a tight hug. Tina started crying quietly again.

“Oh, Teenie, I’m so sorry. . .” Queenie trailed off, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. Unbeknownst to Tina, a single tear _ did _fall down her cheek. “You can tell me anything, okay? You’re my sister, we’re gonna get through this together.”

“Okay,” Tina managed between sobs and sniffles.

“How about some cocoa, all right?” suggested Queenie.

Tina nodded silently.

* * *

Queenie walked over to her sister, who was sitting stiffly on the couch, with a mug of cocoa in each hand. Handing one to her, Queenie sat down on the couch to Tina’s left. It was quiet as they both sipped their drinks, neither of the sisters knowing what could possibly be said to lighten the mood.

“I have a date on Saturday...?” stated Tina with a little lift at the end, as if she wasn’t entirely sure how to say it.

“Really?” asked Queenie disbelievingly. At Tina’s nod, she asked, “How did you manage that?”

Tina told her how Tolliver had just walked up to her and casually asked her out, but how obvious it was that he liked her.

“When are you meeting him?” Queenie’s eyes shone with ideas.

“Eight PM,” replied Tina, a little more cheerful now that she was thinking of something else.

“Do you know where you’re going?”

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

“Well, I know what we’re doing tonight!” declared Queenie.

“What?” gasped Tina, surprised.

“We’re going shopping!” said Queenie excitedly. She stood up from the couch and pulled Tina up by the arms, “Grab your coat, Teenie! I know the perfect place!”


	3. Chapter 3

**A Manhattan Commercial Street, Wednesday Evening**

On the window of a small boutique was a sign that said:

> _Anastasia’s Robes for _
> 
> _Witches of All Ages_  
  
---  
  
Next door was a small consignment shop that, in fading gold letters, read:

> _Jericho’s Consignment Store_
> 
> _We Buy And Sell_  
  
---  
  
Tina and Queenie Apparated in front of the boutique, hand in hand. The blonde witch walked inside, almost dragging her brown-haired sister behind her. The owner, Anastasia, looked up from the back as a little bell attached to the door jingled. She looked to be in her thirties, and as she walked out from behind the counter, Tina saw that she was pregnant.

“Queenie! Darling, how have you been?” asked Anastasia, giving Queenie a hug.

Tina, embarrassed for some reason, looked at the ground and felt her cheeks flush. She was already uncomfortable and awkward as Queenie talked animatedly with Anastasia, a complete stranger to her, but there was definitely another unidentified feeling there, too. Queenie and Anastasia kept talking and Tina kept thinking; the name of the feeling was on the tip of her tongue. 

Then it came to her: jealousy. But of what? Anastasia’s life? Tina’d worked hard for her career, she definitely didn’t regret that. So what was she jealous of? The more Tina thought about it, the farther the answer became, so she stopped looking for it. 

Of course, that was when she realized what she was jealous of: Anastasia’s _ place _ in life. She had a loving husband (“How’s your husband?” asked Queenie excitedly. “Oh, he’s wonderful!” Anastasia replied happily.), her dream job, and a child on the way—what Tina had always thought she’d have someday. But now her picturesque future had crumbled, leaving a desolate void in her soul.

“. . .sister, Tina,” said Queenie to Anastasia. They both looked at her.

“Hi,” she said, more than a little awkwardly. Anastasia shook her hand and started examining her.

“Teen’s got a date this Saturday,” Queenie told Anastasia excitedly, “I’m treating her to a new dress.”

“Interesting. . .” replied Anastasia distractedly, “I have some ideas if you would follow me.”

She walked over to a changing room and gestured Tina inside. Waving her wand, she followed the Auror, a measuring tape flying over to her.

“I’m gonna go next door, OK?” Queenie told her sister. She had Tina’s copy of _ Fantastic Beasts _ in her pocket and intended to get rid of it like the sisters had agreed before they left.

“OK,” replied Tina, looking at her reflection in the body length mirrors as she took a deep breath. Queenie strode away determinedly, and a little jingle announced her departure.

“You can take off your sweater, honey,” Anastasia told Tina. She did as requested and it floated to a hook on the wall, “If you could put your arms out, please. . .”

The tape measure started measuring the length of Tina’s arms, legs, waist, and etc. as Anastasia swirled her wand at different fabrics, trying to find the perfect one.

“That’s enough,” she said to the tape measure, and it fell to the ground, “You can put your arms down. Hmmm. . . Let me see your eyes, dear.”

Anastasia walked to Tina’s front and inspected her eye color. Comparing different fabrics against her eyes, she finally found the perfect one. A cherry red color, it seemed to sparkle in the light.

“It has some silver sewn into it,” said Anastasia helpfully as she made it into a beautiful dress. Showing the finished product to Tina with a smile, she said, “Try it on.”

Drawing her wand down in front of her body, Tina switched her clothes for the red dress. Feeling the fabric with her fingers, she gave a little spin. The entire dress billowed out and Tina couldn't help but smile. A little gasp came from someone behind her, and Queenie walked over, feeling the dress.

“Tina, it’s perfect!” she said, smiling radiantly.

As Queenie and Anastasia discussed the price, Tina walked up to the body length mirrors, staring at her reflection. Biting her lip to stop herself from smiling, her smile only grew wider and she couldn’t contain it. But the smile quickly fled her face as the memories from earlier that day came flooding back. But instead of breaking down again, Tina resolved that she wouldn’t let them weigh her down. She drew her wand down in front of her body again, changing back into her regular clothes, before paying for the dress and leaving for home with Queenie.

* * *

Tina changed into pajamas once they reached the apartment and swiftly retired to her bed. She turned on the lamp sitting on the bedside table and picked a random book off the shelf to read. A few minutes later Queenie came in and sat down on her bed, facing Tina.

“I’m fine, Queenie,” implored Tina.

“No, you aren’t,” replied Queenie calmly.

A few seconds passed.

“Could you not read my—” requested Tina chastisingly, but Queenie cut her off.

“You know how hard it is to not do it when people are sad! If you would just let me help—”

Tina cut her off harshly. “I don’t need your help! I can handle this myself!”

Queenie wore an expression of hurt on her face, and Tina felt guilty for snapping at her. She struggled to find words as her sister looked mutely at the floor.

“Fine,” said Queenie as she looked up, brushing it off. She sounded slightly hurt.

“Queen, I just. . .” Tina sighed. “I just need some time alone to process everything. I just found out about it today. . .” She lifted her voice as she felt her throat tighten.

“Alright. . .” sighed the blonde witch, reluctantly leaving the room. She closed the door on her way out and Tina buried herself in the book.

The words of the pages blurred as her eyes filled with tears and she let out a quiet sob. She dejectedly closed the book and set it on the shelf, reaching over to the lamp on the bedside table to turn it off. She laid down and rolled over in her bed to face the bookshelf as she silently cried, her thoughts whirling around in her head.

Newt had pretty much told her that he hadn’t talked to Leta in years; was that a lie? Or had he reconciled with her and decided to marry her? He said that people change—that he thought he had changed; did that even mean what she thought it had meant? If he didn’t like her, why did he—why did he tuck her hair behind her ear when he left? Why would he ask her about coming back to New York to deliver his book to her in person? Did he lie about his travel ban? He couldn’t have bothered to write Tina, tell her “Hey, I'm marrying Leta Lestrange, the woman I pretty much told you I wasn’t on good terms with”? *sigh*

Tina’s silent sobs continued as she cried herself to sleep for the first of many nights.

* * *

Saturday couldn’t have come any slower for Tina. She’d woken up to the sight of that horrid magazine on the table the next day, and, in a fit of rage, crumpled it in her hand and set it on fire. Her anger subsided as she watched it burn in midair, and she felt the empty void come back. She’d teared up and almost started crying again, but then suddenly she was furious with herself for being such a mess. At work, she and Tolliver kept making eye contact and then awkwardly looking away whenever they saw each other. The day after that, Queenie and Tina got into another argument about Queenie’s relationship with Jacob and didn’t talk for the rest of the day. On top of all that, Tina had gotten a notice from President Picquery about the dreaded decision about the assignment and had subsequently been stressed the whole day. By the time she woke up on Saturday morning, Tina was in dire need of a night out, to unwind.

For once, Tina and Queenie were up at the same time. Queenie was making breakfast when Tina walked over, setting the table for two with a wave of her wand. There were a few tense moments of silence.

“I hope you have a good night out,” said Queenie curtly, yet Tina knew she meant it truthfully. Even when she was mad, she was still nice; most times that was scarier than being mean and angry.

A breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon soared over to the table and the sisters sat down at their usual spots. They had a silent breakfast as Queenie read a magazine, and Tina finished first. Standing up, her plate and utensils flew to the sink and started washing themselves; Tina drew the doors to the bedroom, changing from her pajamas to work clothes. Queenie got up from her chair, the magazine closing as she followed her plate and utensils to the sink, where she started handwashing them (Don't ask _ me _ why I wouldn’t know). Tina walked quietly to the apartment door and put her hand on it.

“Queenie. . .” said Tina, trailing off. Queenie paused in her washing, both of them looking down. Tina had a feeling neither of them were at 100% right now. “Don’t do anything rash.”

She pushed open the door and left the building, finding an alley and Apparating to another one closer to MACUSA HQ. She walked in the doors, a purposeful stride carrying her to Seraphina Picquery’s office. Knocking gently on the doors, she patiently waited for an answer.

“Come in.”

Tina obeyed as the doors opened and walked up to Picquery’s desk, unafraid.

“I assume you’ve made your decision?” asked Picquery, inviting—on the verge of demanding—an answer.

“Yes. I’ll do it,” replied Tina with more certainty than she actually felt. She needed something to focus on, and this was the perfect opportunity. Even if the rest of her life was falling apart, she was determined to keep this part of it intact.


	4. Chapter 4

**Major Investigations Department, Saturday, June 11** **th**

Tina spent the rest of the day sitting restlessly in her office, trying to find and condense all of her notes on the N.S.P.S. and Credence in her notebook. Her thoughts kept drifting to Achilles Tolliver and their not-date date that night at a surprise location. Eventually, after much boredom on Tina’s part, Tolliver came by, knocking on the frame of the open door of her homey office.

“I’ll meet you at the lobby in ten?” he suggested, leaning on the door frame.

“That sounds great,” replied Tina, trying to look like she’d been working all day instead of stressing out. Tolliver gave a little wave before walking away.

Taking a deep breath in and out, Tina closed the handful of open files on her desk, which sorted themselves into drawers, and grabbed her sweater. She walked out of her office and headed for the nearest bathroom to change. Pushing open the door of the ladies' room, she found it deserted, and walked over to the floor to ceiling mirrors by the sinks. Setting her sweater on the counter, she took out her wand and drew it up in front of her body, changing into the cherry red dress that sparkled in the light. Her hair became wavy and she put a silver-colored clip in it on her left side to hold it back. She added dark eyeshadow that, if you looked closely enough, was a shade of blue and faded into a little silver, along with mascara and a red lip the same shade as her dress.

The dress was low cut, the fabric curving on both sides until it touched together in the middle of the chest with the help of a silver clip; a twist of the red fabric across the midriff held the dress to her body. From there, the dress flowed down to just above the ankle but lifted up a few inches in the front. The long sleeves of the dress hugged the arms and went all the way to the wrists, and the back was high cut. This dress was ahead of the times, as it hugged the upper body a bit, instead of the usual dresses that hung loosely.

Tina bit her lip as she stared at herself in the mirror, a little smile appearing on her face. Not only did she look beautiful, she felt beautiful, too. Grabbing her sweater and putting it over her arm, she left the bathroom for the lobby. Upon her arrival, she stopped and looked around for Tolliver, spotting him by the stairs with a couple of his friends. She calmly walked over, hoping that she didn’t look too nervous. In the middle of a sentence, Tolliver spotted Tina and faltered. As she reached them, Tolliver’s friends hugged him and said goodbye, leaving the two alone. There was an awkward silence, and their cheeks flushed, both of them staring away from each other. Eventually, someone said something.

“You look beautiful,” complimented Tolliver quietly, as if he was afraid Tina would laugh at him.

“Thank you,” she replied softly, a little smile on her lips as their eyes slowly met. “Where are we headed, Mr. Tolliver?”

“Achilles, please. And you’ll see,” he replied mysteriously, beckoning her to follow him down the stairs and out the doors after she put on her sweater. He guided her to a nearby alley and offered her his arm. She took it without question and they Apparated into another side alley, facing a mural of three men sitting at a table, toasting. Achilles knocked three times on the wall, and a brick disappeared, revealing an eye.

“How many?” asked the voice belonging to the eye gruffly.

“Just two,” replied Achilles casually.

“Fifty dragots,” said the voice.

The eye flicked from him to Tina before the brick reappeared. A second later the bricks seemed to fold away, leaving a doorway into a brightly lit room. Tina heard jazzy music in the background as a house-elf outstretched its hand to Achilles. He dropped the fifty dragots in its hand and it melted into the shadows.

“Welcome,” said Achilles, gently taking Tina’s hand and leading her into the large room full of witches and wizards, “to the Three Brothers.”

Tina took off her sweater and let it go, watching it, too, melt into the shadows.

The Three Brothers was, by definition, a speakeasy, but it had a different vibe than any of the other ones Tina’d been to before. Instead of a calm, lazy vibe, it had an air of, “We’re here to have fun and maybe make some bad decisions.” The atmosphere _ could _be described as relaxing, but there was an undeniable electricity in the air that seemed to make Tina a bit more. . . confident. Yellow balls of light floated high above by the ceiling, bathing the place in golden light. The marble floor gave it an air of sophistication, while white bricks with slowly moving gold patterns on them made up the walls and curved to make the ceiling. The witches and wizards populating the dance floor and bars and milling about were all dressed semi-casual, bordering black-tie, and Tina felt a little overdressed.

“Do you think this too much?” she asked Achilles, fingering her dress as she followed him to a deserted bar.

“Giggle water, please,” requested Achilles to the house-elf bartender. To Tina, he replied, “It’s perfect,” looking her directly in the eyes. He was about an inch taller than her.

They both grabbed a shot of giggle water and, clinking glasses, downed them.

“Why, ‘Achilles?’” asked Tina spontaneously. At an eyebrow raise, she needlessly elaborated. “Why would your parents name you that?”

Downing another shot together, Achilles responded.

“My mother loved Greek mythology. So she decided to name me after the guy who died of an arrow to his ankle. She died of dragon pox when I was a kid.” He paused. “Why Porpentina?”

“My father liked porcupines,” Tina answered simply. “My parents died of dragon pox, too.”

There was silence and they drank the last shot.

“What would you do if I just called you Porpentina all the time?” asked Achilles jokingly.

“Please don’t,” answered Tina with a smile on her face. “It’s embarrassing enough when my younger sister calls me ‘Teenie’ in front of strangers.”

They turned to face the dance floor in front of the stage as the song died out. 

“What department are you?” Tina asked Achilles. 

As they leaned against the bar, a slower jazz song started up, and couples took to the floor, swaying in time to the music. 

“Emergency Magical Response,” he replied.

The two watched for a couple of minutes.

“Would you care to dance, ‘Miss Goldstein’?” asked Achilles, a smirk on his face to show he was toying with her, as he offered his arm to Tina.

“Of course, ‘Mr. Tolliver’,” replied Tina, taking his arm.

Leading Tina to an empty spot in the middle of the dance floor, they slowly copied the other couples; Achilles apprehensively put his arms around Tina’s waste and she tentatively laced her fingers behind his neck. Slowly swaying in a circle, they took turns asking each other questions. Eventually, they ran out of things to ask each other, and an empty silence fell between them.

“Do you want to do something different?” asked Achilles mischievously with a smile.

“Always,” replied Tina adventurously.

“Give me your hands,” he told her.

Raising an eyebrow, Tina complied, setting both of her hands in his. Raising one arm high above her head, Achilles spun Tina in a gentle circle, letting go of her other hand. When she faced him again, instead of grabbing her free hand, he put his hand on the small of her back, gently dipping her towards the floor. After a second, he pulled her back up, spinning Tina to face the same direction as him and leaving a bit of space between their bodies. They started swaying to the music again and their hands fell on top of each other, fingers intertwining, coming to rest on Tina’s abdomen.

“Different enough?” Achilles asked apprehensively.

“Mm-hmm,” she answered, her eyes closed. She was trying not to think of the fact that everything was kind of surreal, almost in a. . . bad way. The entirety of her body was telling her to stop, that she wasn't ready, but she pushed passed the feeling of discomfort and focused on the music and the rhythmic swaying in time with it.

They stayed like that for a while before Achilles spun Tina back to face him, resting his hands gently on Tina’s waste and Tina relacing her fingers behind his neck. Looking into his eyes, she felt that the moment was. . . Not necessarily wrong, but not right, either. What was wrong with her? She was supposed to be having fun, not thinking about- No. No more thinking about him. No, he didn't actually love her. . . But that was it, though; Tina still loved him.

Looking at something behind her, Achilles muttered, “Damn it.”

“What?” asked Tina, trying to look behind her, but he turned her head back to face him.

“Criminals,” he answered, looking Tina directly in the eyes, “I’ve been dealing with their crimes all month.”

He glanced around again, still swaying with Tina in a slow circle.

“If they see me they’ll attack,” he started to explain, “I put away one of their buddies and ever since they’ve had it out for me.”

“Why hasn’t anyone contacted MACUSA? Aren’t there any wanted posters around for them?” inquired Tina aptly.

“There’s no time to take pictures in an emergency, and the artist renderings never turn out properly,” he admitted, frustrated.

“Oh,” said Tina, not really familiar with the procedures of other departments. In Investigations, they usually dealt with repeat offenders, so the perpetrator was almost always registered from a previous offense.

He paused, thinking, and looked away from Tina’s eyes. “I heard a rumor that they were targeting the Three Brothers tonight.”

Tina cut off whatever he was going to say next: “Is that why you’re here? To catch them?” She felt hurt at the prospect of just being a cover.

“No,” said Achilles forcefully, silencing Tina, and gazing into her eyes as if to convey this truth. “I had this place picked out before I heard the rumor. I didn’t really believe it; they’ve always attacked less crowded bars and cafés.”

“Then why would they be here tonight?” puzzled Tina, giving Achilles the benefit of the doubt that he was telling the truth.

“I don’t know. . .”

He opened his mouth to say something else, but something caught his eye behind Tina. A ball of light floated high above her, bathing her in its beautiful golden rays.

“They’re coming over here,” stated Achilles worriedly, watching the two criminals join the dance floor. His eyes trained on them, our emotional wreck of a Tina had an idea that was just crazy enough that it could possibly work.

She unlaced her fingers behind his neck and, with her left hand, turned his head to face her. Smashing her lips with his, she tried to make the kiss last as long as possible. With both of their eyes closed, Tina could only hope that the two criminals had passed by when she backed away. Achilles' dark blue eyes looked brighter in the golden light as he stared passionately at an oblivious Tina.

“Wow. . .” he whispered distractedly.

“Are they gone?” asked Tina worriedly, trying not to draw attention by looking behind her.

“What?” said Achilles, looking away from Tina, embarrassed. He looked around and answered, “Yes.”

There wasn’t even a seconds rest before two people yelled something loud enough for the whole room to hear.

“_ Obscuritas! _” The criminals were pointing their wands towards the ceiling, an opaque, black mass of fog oozing out of their wands. Gasps of surprise and fear echoed throughout the speakeasy as the fog swallowed the golden lights. Tina and Achilles watched the fog roil closer to the ceiling and fan out until it reached the golden light above them. The black mass slowly engulfed the bright orb, its golden rays faltering. They looked at each other, fear and worry on Tina’s face, not because she was scared for her safety, but for everyone else’s; it was mirrored by Achilles.

“How dangerous are they?” asked Tina quietly, hoping for what was beyond logical to be true. The light winked out, and what felt like an eternity of silence lasted only a second.

“Extremely,” he stated. The last orb joined the opaque fog, and the room was dead silent. It seemed like a stifling blanket had been thrown over the room. Every breath was a bit of a struggle for Tina.

“_Lumos_,” said a man, the tip of his wand lighting up. A split second later two more spells were fired, sending the room into flickering darkness and sparking mayhem.

“_Avada kedavra!_” yelled the male criminal, killing the man in a blast of green light and sending him sprawling.

“_Incendio diabolica!_” yelled the female criminal, bright flames erupting from her wand, sending people Disapparating out of the way. 

Screams echoed throughout the cavernous room, and Achilles pulled Tina into a corner.

“The average time it takes for EMR to respond is five minutes, so we just need to keep them at bay until they get here. I’ll create a distraction, you get everyone out.” He told her so quickly that Tina barely had time to register what he said before he Disapparated.

On the verge of panicking (remember, she’s an emotional wreck), Tina finally processed what Achilles had said. She ran around the room, helping people up so they could Disapparate.

“Go! Go! Disapparate! Leave! It’s not safe here!” she shouted through the suffocating black smoke at the remaining people. Gasping for air, she managed to choke out a spell, “_ Libaeritus _. . .”

The roiling mass of fog had combined with smoke from the fire and had expanded almost to the floor. The spell cleared her lungs and formed a protective bubble of air around her mouth and nose. She tried to see through the thick smog, almost able to feel it.

“_Lumos maxima_,” she said, trying to see through it, but it just swallowed up the light. “_Fumus moveo_,” she tried, but this, too, did nothing.

“Achilles!” yelled Tina, straining to hear a reply or any sound that he was alive.

“Tina!” she heard him yell. It sounded like he was on the other side of the room. She heard the cracks and swishes of spells, and the roar of a fire, but she couldn’t see anything as her feet carried her towards his voice.

Almost out of the blue, she came across an incomplete dome of light that was keeping the roiling mass away. Its tendrils touched and jabbed the dome, but jerked away, as if stung by it. Tina ducked under the slowly moving curtain of light as it spread to the floor, and was immediately hit with a blast of hot air from the fire now trapped within. It seemed to be acting of its own volition and started snapping its tendrils at Tina.

Blocking them with non-verbal spells, Tina was backed to the edge of the dome when the great burning mass paused as if considering her. It reared upwards, turning into a great flaming bird, and Tina pointed her wand it with both hands as it turned down and dove. The force of its wings flapping reached Tina and she fell to her knees; the dry heat from the flames stung her eyes and she looked to the ground, her eyes watering.

“_Aguamenti!_” she yelled, sending water out of her wand at the pressure of a fire hose. Closing her eyes, causing a tear to fall down her cheek, Tina could only hear its unnatural screeches as it was sent flying back across the dome. It grew smaller and smaller until it evaporated out of existence. Unclasping her hands around her wand, Tina untied the laces of her heels, throwing them to the side of the dome.

Looking across the length of the area, Tina saw a bright flash of white light in the middle. Still on the ground, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Looking back at the white light, she saw two people firing a spell at each other.

“ACHILLES!” yelled Tina, getting up from the ground, wand in hand.

He sneaked a look at Tina and yelled something to her, but the wizard he was fighting sent a spurt of magic from his wand and a loud crack as it reached Achilles’s spell drowned him out. Suddenly Tina was thrown against the side of the dome, and a sharp pain zipped through her body. Looking around, her vision blurry, she saw a dark human shape walking over to her. Scrambling to find her wand, Tina’s vision cleared, and she grabbed it off the floor.

Facing her opponent, the witch, Tina grasped her wand tightly in her hand. She raised it at her and the witch did the same. White light sparked out from their wands, Tina’s left hand at her side.

“Victory is ours!” shouted the witch gloatingly. Tina wasn't sure who she was talking to.

“Not while I’m here,” she muttered. If the witch was gonna be crazy, so would she. Tina suddenly broke off the spell and yelled, “_ Depulso! _”

The witch was caught off guard and thrown back by the spell.

“_ Accio! _” yelled Tina, grabbing the witch’s wand when it flew to her. She flicked her own, handcuffing the witch as she lay on the floor, unconscious. Turning to Achilles, she saw that he was still struggling with the wizard, and losing. Outside the dome, the thick, black smoke had started receding.

“Achilles!” yelled Tina again as she ran over to him and the wizard.

“Tina!” he cried, looking at her. It was the look of a man who was about to die. “I—!”

There was a loud crack as Tina shot a spell at the wizard.

A bright light temporarily blinded her and when it faded away, the four remaining people were on the ground.

Achilles got up and walked over to Tina, grunting in pain as he helped her up.

“Are you okay?” asked Tina, winded.

“I’m fine,” he said, waving away her concern. Tina walked over to the wizard criminal and handcuffed him by magic as he lay quietly on the ground.

She was acutely aware of the EMR Aurors entering the room and fanning out, but all she felt like doing was sitting down. Not bothering to grab her shoes, she found the nearest wall and sat down, leaning against it. Bringing her knees close to her face, Tina rested her head between them, a lot on her mind. Her arms wrapped around her legs, loosely holding the wands. She breathed slowly, trying to calm her fast-paced heart.

She'd been told that she “works well under pressure.” Sure. She reacts to a problem and solves it. Who wouldn’t? But pressure is stress, and stress isn't always good. Bad stress can break people. If a person’s mind could be stretched like a rubber band, that's probably what Tina's brain would look like. Or maybe like a water balloon that's about to burst.

More slow breathing. Someone walked over and sat down next to her.

“I’m sorry,” whispered Achilles.

Tina didn't respond. What could she say? She knew it was rude, yet she didn't know what else to do.

Achilles was silent for a while.

“Do you need a hug?” he suddenly asked.

This caught Tina off-guard and grabbed her attention. She looked at him, her expression allowing Achilles to read her like an open book.

“I'm sorry,” he repeated, this time awkwardly. “That wasn't the most eloquent way to say that. I, uh, just thought you looked stressed and might have needed a destressing hug. . ._ I guess some things never change about a person _.” He whispered the last part.

Tina wasn’t known for being the smartest person, the person with the biggest heart, or being a fighter—though she was to some extent. She was known for her adventurous spirit, being level-headed during a crisis, and making the occasional rash decision. Not that Tina would ever think of any of this _this_ objectively. She just does things because it’s the right thing to do at the moment.

Tina sighed and tentatively moved closer to Achilles, slowly putting her head on his shoulder.

“I’ve had a rough week,” she said quietly.

“Haven’t we all,” he responded, putting his arm around her shoulders.

They sat there together for a while, watching the EMR Aurors take the few bodies of the dead with them as they slowly trickled out of the room. Achilles moved a bit and Tina shifted off of him. Standing up, he offered his hand to Tina and pulled her up.

The remaining Aurors questioned them on what happened and took the wands of the witch and wizard from them. The Aurors walked over to the witch and wizard, who were both awake by now, and pulled them roughly up from the floor. Even disgruntled and defeated, they had a spark in their eyes—not a twinkle, a spark. It spoke of a deep belief in something, a faith impervious to change.

They didn't resist as the Aurors Disapparated with them off the premise of the Three Brothers. Achilles put his arm around Tina and steered her through the desolate room to one of the bars.

“Did you see what that man was wearing?” he asked intensely.

“No. Wait, who?” replied Tina, confused.

“The wizard criminal that we fought! He was wearing this necklace with a weird symbol on it. Was the woman wearing it too?”

“Maybe? I don't know, I was busy trying not to die! Could you draw it?”

Achilles dug around in his coat for paper and a pen, producing both and turning to face the bar. Tina watched him draw a slightly familiar symbol: first, a line, second, a circle around the middle of the line, third, a triangle around them both. He drew a geometrically shaped G that touched the right side of the triangle, and then mirrored it on the left side.

“Isn’t that the symbol for the Deathly Hallows?” said Tina, wondering why the fugitive would be wearing this.

“Yeah. . .” replied Achilles, sounding perplexed. They studied the drawing for a few seconds as the remaining Aurors repaired the damage to the room.

“Do you mind if I keep it?” asked Tina, looking Achilles in the eye.

“Of course! You probably have a better chance of figuring this out,” he said, more than a little awkwardly.

“Thanks.” Tina folded the paper and put it in a secret pocket in her dress.

There were a few uncomfortable moments of silence between them and they looked away from each other.

“Look, uh, Tina, I’m really sorry that I ruined your night. I shouldn’t have brought you here. I heard the rumors and I didn’t pay attention-”

She cut him off before he could say anything else.

“It's fine. You couldn't have known that they would break their pattern and attack the bar you just happened to bring me to. . .”

Tina looked at him and both of their mouths teased a smile.

“I just feel like I owe you another night out. . . But I'd understand if you'd rather not. You don't have to answer now! Just so you know.” He sounded very nervous and apologetic and a little awkward. Tina found it endearing but didn't say anything and looked away, not wanting to mess up. . . whatever this relationship was.

“We could probably sneak a couple of drinks, right?” he suggested, changing the subject.

“I don't see why not,” said Tina, looking around the now empty room. “I believe we just saved almost everyone in the bar—a worthy cause for a drink or two. And honestly, I could use it.”

Achilles walked behind the bar and dug out two old bottles of something. Handing one to Tina, they popped the caps, clinked the bottles together, and drank in silent companionship, sitting next to each other on the bar. If her world was falling apart, at least she had someone to watch it with.


	5. Chapter 5

**President Picquery's Office, MACUSA, Sunday Morning, June 12** **th**

Tina sat in a chair in front of Seraphina Picquery, wondering why her presence had been requested. Was it about her assignment or what happened last night? Or both?

Picquery looked a little more stressed than usual. Her demeanor was one of authority, but also of deference, which was weird to Tina. She usually encountered Picquery as an Auror conferring with the boss of her boss. But now the boss of her boss was deferring to her on. . . something?

Tina had planned to show the picture of the symbol on the wizard's necklace to her colleagues in the MID (Major Investigations Department), but now she saw an opportunity to find out just how important this symbol was.

She took out the piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it on the desk.

“Do you know what this symbol is?” Tina asked delicately, hoping that she would get some form of an answer. This was Picquery, after all. They didn't have the best relationship with each other.

The POM studied the symbol, picking up the paper but put it down to reach inside a drawer. She pulled out a grayscale photo of the necklace and slid both items over to Tina. They were now on the same page.

“Why would that man have been wearing this? What does it mean? What do the Deathly Hallows have to do with anything?” asked Tina, letting the questions float in the air.

Picquery laced her fingers together and rested her hands on the desk. It seemed as if she was about to reveal something extremely important.

“Please leave us,” she requested of her two bodyguards. Also weird—they were never far from the President, and were her most trusted officers in her cabinet of advisors.

They silently left the office (which Tina was 99.99% sure had the Muffliato enchantment on it, not to mention others) and Picquery looked Tina in the eyes as if assessing her trustworthiness.

“This,” she stated, pausing for dramatic effect, “is Grindelwald’s symbol.” Tina opened her mouth and Picquery gracefully put up a hand to stop Tina from prematurely asking any questions.

This was the big reveal? Really? I mean, it had a G in it, Tina was sure she could have figured it out. Before she could continue that line of thought, Picquery spoke again.

“Grindelwald was being transported to Europe recently, and he escaped.” She sounded as close to ashamed as she could be.

“He’s on the loose?” exclaimed Tina softly. This was bad. . .

“Ms. Goldstein,” said Picquery, commanding her attention. “I need to know: Will he go after Credence Barebone?”

The answer was clear as day: Yes. There was no way Grindelwald had put so much effort into finding Credence only to give up. Tina wished she could say otherwise, but the truth was the truth. There was no changing it, no matter how much she might want to.

“Yes,” she answered dejectedly. She met President Picquery's calculating stare.

“I trust you know what to do, Ms. Goldstein: Find him before Grindelwald does. We don't know why he would be after Credence, but the boy is too powerful for us to let him fall into Grindelwald's grasp. MACUSA's resources are at your disposal. Time is of the essence.”

“Of course, Madam President.” Tina took the drawing of Grindelwald’s symbol and put it back in the pocket of her sweater. She stood up and walked to the door, but before she opened it, Picquery gave her a piece of advice:

“You may want to update your look—you want people to take you seriously, I hope.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, Madam President,” replied Tina politely as she left the room. She let out a breath as she walked through the Presidential Secretary’s office and down the hall outside of it, all of this information floating around in her head.

She made it to her office before sitting down and really digesting what she had just learned. She took out her pocket-sized notebook and a pen, and started a To-Do list:

  1. _Change up look - hair cut & outfit change?_
  2. _Find Credence_  
---  
  
It wasn't much, but it was a start. She flipped back a page and studied the notes she'd already taken on Credence since last year. Tina sighed and made up her mind. The first order of business: buy a new coat. She tidied up her office before leaving and shutting the door. She was reviewing her notes as she waited for the elevator, looking for a lead to chase afterward, but as the doors opened a familiar man with dashing looks stepped out, the only person in the elevator.

“Tina,” said the man with dashing looks.

“Oh! Hi, Achilles,” replied Tina, looking up from her notebook.

“Good morning?” he said awkwardly. He looked like he had something to talk about.

She put the notebook in the pocket of her sweater as the elevator doors shut.

“Do you have a minute to talk?” he asked politely. He stuck his hands in his pocket.

“Um, I guess,” she said, eyeing the departing elevator. She looked at Achilles.

“I’m sorry, you’re probably busy, but I heard that President Picquery—” he stopped himself and looked around. “Do you think we could talk in your office?”

Tina eyed the empty elevator shaft before she gave in. She didn’t have any leads and was about to go shopping for a coat. She could afford to hear him out.

“Of course.” She led the way there, Achilles trailing after. Tina opened the door and he closed it behind him.

“OK, I heard that you had an impromptu meeting with President Picquery,” he stated as he faced Tina.

“How did you find out?” asked Tina.

“I know somebody in this department,” he explained, waving it away. “What happened?”

Tina searched his eyes, looking to see how much she could—and should—tell him out of the already small pool of non-classified information. Did she trust him? Yes. Then it’s settled.

“She talked to me about my ongoing investigation, and I actually asked her about that symbol—” Tina took out the piece of paper, “Turns out, it’s Grindelwald’s. He escaped—”

“Yeah, I heard. But this is Grindelwald’s symbol? Does your investigation have anything to do with him?” Achilles asked.

“A little,” answered Tina evasively. He looked her in the eye suspiciously and she reciprocated. Should she _ really _ trust him? They just met a few days ago, after all.

“How many people are on your team?” he asked, putting his hands in his pockets.

“It’s just me,” replied Tina curtly. She copied him and put her hands in her pockets.

“Really? Do you have any solid leads?”

Tina felt uncomfortable. She trusted Achilles, yet this was a secret investigation; everything was on a need to know basis. Supposedly. Oh, what the hell. It's not like she had anything real to dish out. And maybe another head would help her think. Inducting him into the investigation might seem rash, but after last night, she'd actually found a friend. Someone with a good heart.

“No. I don't have much to go on; I’m still waiting for the results of the preliminary investigation. In fact, I have so much nothing to go on, I was about to go out and buy a new coat in order to ‘look more professional’.” Tina sighed and Achilles smirked. 

“Picquery told me to. . .” she explained, embarrassed.

“Did she really?” he asked, suppressing laughter.

“Yes! She literally said, ‘You may want to change up your look’ to my face!” Tina tried to stay defensive, but they broke out in some laughter.

When the laughter ceased, all that was left was an awkward silence. A _ really _ awkward silence.

“Uh, well, I'm sure we both have work to do,” said Tina, breaking the intensely awkward silence.

“Actually, I don't. Sundays are my day off,” Achilles told her.

“Oh.” That meant that he came here just to see her? That's ridiculous. He came here-

“I came here to see how you were doing after last night,” he said quietly. “I had a good time, fight notwithstanding, but are you sure you’re okay?”

“I'm feeling better, really. A good night's sleep was all I needed,” lied Tina nervously and she paused. She'd cried herself to sleep again. “Thank you for walking me home, you really didn’t have to do that. But, uh, I had a good time getting to know you.”

There were a few moments of silence begging to be filled before Achilles remembered Tina was kinda-sorta busy.

“Sorry for keeping you,” he started. “You should probably get on with your coat shopping.”

“Yeah. . .”

Neither of them moved. Then Tina had another crazy idea.

“You could come with me?” she suggested timidly.

“Sure!” Achilles jumped at the chance.

“Oh-kay,” said Tina, clipped and surprised. “I was going to go to a women's store, but we could go somewhere else instead—”

“It's fine. I'm not the one shopping for clothes,” he pointed out. “I can provide you with another perspective if needed.”

“I know this bakery that sells really cute pastries,” suggested Tina as they left her office and caught the elevator. “And down the street is a café; we could stop there afterward and see if we come up with any other leads after we go through my notes on Credence.”

“Credence? This investigation is about that kid who destroyed half of Manhattan with an obscurial? Isn’t it on a need to know basis?” asked Achilles.

“Yes, it is. How do you know who he is?” asked Tina, an accusatory look in her eyes as she turned to face him, crossing her arms.

The atmosphere changed from relaxed to tense in a split second. She expected to have to vaguely explain who Credence was and then request his help. And knowing him, the answer would have been yes. But why does he already know about Credence? That’s classified information; even Tina wasn’t sure who else has access to it.

He faltered, struggling to come up with an explanation. Tina’s mind fast-tracked to the only answer: he was a spy for Grindelwald.

“You’re a spy for Gr—” accused Tina, but Achilles put a hand over her mouth. With his other hand, he grabbed her wand-hand.

Tina imagined what would happen next: he’d say, ‘I can’t have you telling the world my little secret,’ or something, and then he’d put her under the Imperius Curse and no one would be the wiser. She struggled against him.

“I’m not,” he told her. Tina stopped struggling. He took his hand away from her mouth and let go of her hand. “I’m one of the officers in the EMR Dept. I have to know. I thought you wouldn’t like me as much if you knew.”

He backed away from her as he spoke.

“What?”

“I know. It was stupid. And irrational. I’m really sorry. And embarrassed, if you can’t tell.”

Tina just stared at him, like, “You should be embarrassed! That is unacceptable behavior!”

“Achilles. . . I need to know if I can trust you. What just happened. . .”

“Tina, I’m sorry. . . I just didn’t want you yelling about Grindelwald and inciting panic. . .”

For some reason, Tina trusted him. She just had this gut feeling that he had good morals and wizardkind’s best interests at heart.

“I’m recruiting you to my investigation,” she told him.

It was Achilles’s turn to be confused.

“What? Are you allowed to do that?” he asked.

“Picquery told me that the resources of MACUSA were at my disposal. I’m just using that to my advantage, Mr. Tolliver.”

The elevator doors opened and Tina strode out determinedly, almost as if fleeing the confines of the elevator. Achilles followed shortly behind.

“I thought we were on a first-name basis?” he asked when he caught up.

“We are—” said Tina as she briskly walked out the doors, “outside of work hours,” she replied.

“What counts as outside of work hours?” They walked down the street and Tina pulled him into an alley.

“This.”

* * *

Tina Apparated in front of the now-familiar boutique, arm-in-arm with Achilles:

> _Anastasia’s Robes for _
> 
> _Witches of All Ages_  
  
---  
  
This time, she was in search of a noir style coat, possibly? Something with conveyance of dark and serious. She had confidence that Anastasia could make an appropriate one.

“Oh,” said Achilles. “Okay. . .”

Tina pushed open the door and heard the jingle of a bell as she walked in. A few women were perusing outfits on display as Tina walked nervously through the store. Achilles followed behind her, hands in his pockets, looking very out of place.

“Tina! Back already?” Anastasia asked as she exited the changing room with a customer.

“Uh, yes. I’m looking to buy a coat? If you’re not too busy to make one.”

“Of course, honey!” said Anastasia as she rang up the customer. “Just head into the changing room.”

“Could Achilles come, too?” asked Tina.

“Not a problem,” replied Anastasia.

“Thanks,” said Tina nervously, putting her hands in her pockets.

She walked into the changing room with Achilles and took off her sweater, hanging it on the hook on the wall.

“What type of coat were you thinking of getting?” asked Achilles. He conjured a chair and sat down in it. The atmosphere between them was still a little tense, and they both tried to forget what happened on the elevator.

“I was thinking of a dark grey, maybe? But no buttons, those can be a nuisance,” replied Tina, voicing some ideas.

“Fuzzy? Leathery? Cloth?” he threw around ideas.

“I'm not sure. Anastasia made my red dress in about five minutes or less. And all she had to go off of was that I was getting a dress.”

“She must be good.”

“Yeah.”

Luckily Anastasia walked in just as the conversation was getting awkward. She waved her wand and her measuring tools swirled around.

“So you're looking for a coat, Tina?” she asked.

“Yeah,” answered Tina, stepping self-consciously in front of the body length mirrors.

“Did you have anything in particular in mind?”

“I was thinking dark blue with no buttons. . .” she offered.

“I'll see what I can do.”

Once again, Anastasia swirled blue fabrics around the room until she found the perfect one. She sewed it into a coat with a cinch that could tie the front closed. It was shiny, like a raincoat, but instead of bright colors and splashing-in-mud-fun-times, it felt like the coat would snuff out candles if provoked.

Tina loved it, it fit her current underlying moods perfectly. There was no way she wouldn't be taken seriously now. Not that she wasn't before. Maybe she looked to lenient with the law? She probably didn't look as professional as Picquery would like her to in her other coat.

“I love it!” Tina took the coat and tried it on. It was a bit heavy, but it fit perfectly. “How do you do it?” asked Tina as she tied the cinch and toyed around with the collar.

“Do what?” said Anastasia.

“Make the perfect clothes! How do you know what a customer wants?”

“They tell me,” replied Anastasia with a small smile, and Tina winced inwardly at her own stupidity. “But I know what you mean. It's an innate talent that I can't divulge to anyone. Just come to the register when you're ready to pay.”

“Thank you,” said Tina as Anastasia left the room. “What do you think, Achilles? Serious enough?”

“You could probably give Picquery a run for her money,” he ruled.

“I doubt it; I always sound like I’m going to cry. It’s a wonder that’s not a problem,” replied Tina. 

She took off the coat and put on her sweater, putting the dark blue coat in a bag. Achilles stood up and deconjured his chair with a wave of his wand, following Tina out of the room. Together, they made their way to the cash register, where Anastasia gave them the price of the coat.

“Thirty-one dragots.”

“I’ll pay,” volunteered Achilles unnecessarily, reaching inside his coat for the money.

“Achilles, it’s fine. I can pay myself; you don’t owe me anything,” Tina told him, reaching inside her pocket for a tiny purse with PEG sewn on the side (a birthday gift from Queenie).

Achilles sighed.

“You keep telling me that but I still feel like I owe you,” he told her.

“You could split the price,” intervened Anastasia bravely, in command of all the goings-on in her store.

Achilles and Tina responded silently to her authority and split the price, Achilles placing sixteen dragots on the counter and Tina placing fifteen. Anastasia took the money and wished them a good day as they left the store. The little bell jingled as the door opened and closed.

A tense silence surrounded the two as they walked aimlessly down the street. It was lined with wizard shops hidden in a magical shopping district.

“Why do you like me so much?” asked Tina quickly, staring at the sidewalk. They kept walking.

“I don’t know,” replied Achilles slowly. “You’re a good person. . . You don’t judge me too harshly.”

“That’s all you look for in someone?” she questioned, looking over to him. She quickly looked back at the sidewalk.

“After my last girlfriend. . . Yes,” he answered solemnly. “She changed, and I turned a blind eye. I lost more than one person to that relationship.”

“Oh,” was all Tina could think to say as they continued walking. She spotted the cafe down the street. “Well, the cafe I mentioned earlier is at the end of this block, if you’d like to stop there.”

“Sure. I could do with a plate of croissants and a coffee right about now.”

* * *

Tina and Achilles were standing in line at the cafe, rapidly moving to the front. Tina ordered a cup of cocoa, Achilles a cup of coffee, and then they ordered a plate of croissants to share. With a look at each other, they split the cost, took the food and found a table for two. Tina took out her pocket-sized notebook and set it on the table as they sat down. Achilles took off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair; Tina copied him.

The two sat opposite each other and silently stirred and/or sipped their beverages. The cafe continued to house the fluctuating number of people in line and at the tables, somehow maintaining homeostasis despite looking hectic. It was quite interesting to watch, considering that the line moved so much faster than it would in a No-Maj cafe.

Achilles picked up Tina’s pocket-sized notebook and read over the facts she jotted down pertaining to Credence. She gave him a quick background on the troubled young man between bites of croissant and sips of cocoa.

“Credence Barebone,” Tina swallowed and continued, “I believe him to be eighteen as of 1926, and depending on his month of birth, nineteen as of this year. He had two adopted sisters, Chastity and Modesty, both younger than him. As far as I know, Modesty is still alive, although I don’t know where she is at the moment.”

“And Chastity—”

“—killed by Credence and his obscurus in December along with their adoptive mother, Mary Lou Barebone. They lived in an old church and fed homeless children in exchange for them handing out N.S.P.S. flyers.”

Achilles took a sip of his coffee and Tina blew on her cocoa, taking a bite of a croissant.

“How long have you been tracking him for?” asked Achilles, glancing at her before grabbing a croissant.

“Longer than I should admit.”

“So before you were actually given the assignment, I assume.”

“November. I saw Mary Lou hitting Credence and I had to stop her. I used magic in front of them and saved him. I had to Obliviate them all before I left, but I think he recognized me.”

“How?”

“I don’t know. In December, when the obscurus destroyed parts of Manhattan, Credence went down into the subway system. Grindelwald and Mr. Scamander—”

“The author of, uh, _ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _?”

Ow. Painful reminder.

“Yes. They cornered Credence while fighting each other. When I found them, New—Mr. Scamander was trying to reason with Credence in obscurus form but when I started talking to him he listened. I think he remembered me.”

Achilles’s eyebrows knitted together as he took a bite of croissant. He chewed, thinking, and Tina drank some of her cocoa. An amiable silence fell between them as they each went their separate ways in thought. The quiet, lighthearted chatter of the cafe directed Tina’s thoughts away from the investigation and to the atmosphere created by the customers around her. She looked around at all the men wearing their stifling year-round clothing and the women wearing their thin summer clothes and short or pinned up hair.

Tina's thoughts went to her own hair, and how it was actually getting a little long. She should probably get a haircut.

“Well, we should probably start with the old church they lived in,” started Achilles, grabbing Tina’s attention.

“Hmm? Yes,” replied Tina, dragging herself out of her thoughts.

“And then we should locate Modesty; Was Credence particularly close to her?”

“I don’t really know. . . I think he was closer with her than he was with Chastity.”

“OK, we just need to piece together what happened from November—” Achilles motioned with his hands parallel to each other on his left, “—to today.” He brought his hands down on his right. “Not difficult at all,” he sighed. “Why don’t we start at the church.”

“OK.”

Their eyes drifted to the lone croissant on the plate. Their eyes flitted to each other’s but before anything awkward could happen, Tina grabbed it, tore it in half, and put one half back on the plate—the smaller half, of course. Achilles smirked and grabbed the half as Tina hid her smile behind her cocoa.

Well, she was smiling. That’s good, considering that if you left her alone for too long she’d start crying. She was distracted and having fun, and that’s what mattered.

Tina and Achilles Apparated into the little alley next to the church, and Tina poked her head out to check for trouble.

“_ Repello muggletum _,” whispered Achilles. A transparent wave of magic rippled through the air around the old church and Tina looked back at him.

“Let’s go.”

Achilles followed her around to the front of the building, where Tina wordlessly unlocked the doors with her wand as he looked around. They quietly slipped inside, Achilles gently closing the doors. Tina waved her wand, the tip of it lighting up as she explored the area.

“It doesn’t seem like anyone has been here in months,” she observed, brushing her fingers on a dusty dresser and wiping them off on her sweater.

She opened a drawer to reveal several small stacks of NSPS pamphlets layered with dust.

“This place seems so. . . dreary,” commented Achilles, poking around the other side of the room. “I would hate to live here.”

Tina moved on to the sparsely decorated tables in the center (suck it, Brits!) of the room, picking up the knick-knacks, examining them, and then gently placing them back on the tables.

“Do you think we’ll find anything?” asked Tina.

“I don’t know. You tell me. All I’ve found is that I might be allergic to dust,” quipped Achilles. He sneezed three times in a row.

“You’re having more luck than I am,” responded Tina, suppressing a small smile.

They met up at the end of the tables once they finished searching and looked down at the wastepaper basket. It was filled with moldy food, paper, and unidentifiable trash. It also reeked.

“Have fun with that.” She looked towards the stairs. “I’ll take upstairs, you take down.”

“Oh, come on, Tina!” complained Achilles as she climbed the stairs.

“I wasn’t asking you, Tolliver.”

“Got it,” he replied sullenly, staring at the wastepaper basket.

He waved his lit wand, sending the basket onto one of the tables where he started magically sorting through its contents. He sighed and plugged his nose. Meanwhile, Tina searched the upstairs rooms, starting in Modesty’s old room. A small religious tapestry hung on the far wall above the bland bed. A dresser was pushed against a wall and a few knick-knacks and toys were strewn about.

After looking through everything, Tina noticed something underneath the bed; it looked like a box or container. Laying on the ground in front of the bed, she stuck her wand underneath it, lighting up the underside of the bed and the floor. The box she saw before was just a collection of chalk, but Tina noticed something else hidden away behind it.

“_ Accio _,” she said, and quickly put her wand in her mouth and held it with her teeth.

A small, rectangular box promptly dragged itself to Tina and she managed to avoid hitting her head on the bed as she grabbed it and stood up. Taking her wand out of her mouth, she actually took a moment to look at the box, realizing it was a for a wand. She opened it up to check if the wand was in there, but it was empty except for the indented foam. Why would there be an empty wand box in the place where the leader of an anti-wizard cult lived? And why was it in Modesty’s old room?

Tina put the box in the pocket of her sweater (which had an Undetectable Extension Charm on it) and took out her notebook, scribbling down her thoughts on a new page. Tucking it back into her pocket, she walked out of the room to the railing, pausing to talk to Achilles.

“Have you found anything?”

“A small piece of paper that has something unintelligible written on it,” reported Achilles.

“Keep searching.”

“No problem,” he replied sarcastically.

Tina opened the door across the hall to reveal a room as bland as the first, if not more so. Another small dresser was pushed against the wall, but no knick-knacks or toys were to be found. She immediately searched under the bed, but there was nothing but dust. Searching the drawers of the dresser did yield a clue, however: a small poster advertising a “Circus Arcanus” from 1926. Tina folded it and put it in her pocket, recording it in her notebook. Giving both rooms a once over, she walked back downstairs, nose plugged.

“Well, I finished going through this garbage, and that piece of paper was the only interesting thing.” Achilles waved his wand and the floating contents of the wastepaper basket went back inside and it set itself on the ground. “_ Scourgify _,” he said, pointing his wand at the paper.

The grime and whatever else was stuck to it disappeared, and the piece of paper was as good as new:

> _Department of Health Division of Vital Statistics_
> 
> _VISITOR_
> 
> _ Credence Barebone_
> 
> _Date: 12-14-1926 _  
  
---  
  
> “This is dated for December, and everything here is covered in dust. When was the last time someone was here?” voiced Tina.

“Let’s find out.” Achilles turned around and muttered, “_ Appare vestigium, _” before putting his wand to his lips and blowing golden light out of his wand in a slow circle.

The light shot out of the tip of his wand and flowed throughout the building. Working backward from then, the golden light formed likenesses of everyone who had been in the building at a certain time, mimicking their actions perfectly. Achilles and Tina watched as their likenesses mimicked their previous actions backward and lightning-fast until they reached the moment when the two had opened the doors. The light became transparent and was still for a long time before it moved again. Tina walked around the house, going up the stairs and into the rooms again before walking back downstairs towards Achilles. Suddenly the dust surged up and formed another likeness by the door to the old church.

“Achilles, pause the spell!” Tina told him.

The likeness stopped in its backward tracks and Tina walked up to and around it.

“This is Credence. How long ago was this?”

Achilles got a far-off look in his eyes for a few seconds before responding.

“Around six months ago.” He looked at her, seeming confused. “Where did you learn that Credence was alive?”

“President Picquery gave me a folder as the investigation debrief almost two weeks ago. All I have on the investigation are my notes and the debrief,” replied Tina, perplexed.

Why would she have been given this case but not told that Credence hadn’t been to his home in six months? MACUSA should have already sent Aurors to check the church during the preliminary investigation and sent the results to Tina when she accepted the investigation. So why didn’t she have the results, and where were they?

“We need to talk to the President,” decided Tina.

“Agreed.” They left the old church for MACUSA together, leaving the No-Maj repelling enchantment up.


End file.
